


Letters from a Warden - 06

by Tak



Series: Letters from a warden [6]
Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2013-10-10
Packaged: 2017-12-29 01:03:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tak/pseuds/Tak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Landsmeet, a new lease on life, acknowledgement of power and a proposal?<br/>Dae's life got a whole lot more complicated, and there is still the arch daemon to defeat.</p><p>The Hawke household continues to host Zevran, as they find out who the wisp from Boone's fade dreams are, he also gets a few words or wisdoms from a young friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Letters from a Warden - 06

Hawke had loaned Zevran a few of the letters she had finished with. He spent the night with the dying fire embers carefully handling the aged paper, reading about their adventures. More than a decade had passed, some of the smaller events had passed from his mind lost to age and a story still continuing. Each letter was filled with impossible detail, snippets of conversation, town, cultural or personal history. Dae's voice resounded though each letter echoing in his head like she was sitting next to him. There were trials, each quest no matter how small had its own challenges, but in those days nothing was to big. The battle with the arch demon seemed a life time away.  
He heard a rustle in the wee hours of the morning, Morfudd the Mabari pricked his head up as Sunshine pulled herself sleepily from her tent. The hound padded over too her and licked her hands as she patted him.  
"Morning." She yawned noticing Zevran sitting at the fire side,  
"You're up frightfully early." He noted, taking a log and rekindling the fire now he had company.  
"I like to have a moment to myself before the twins wake up." She said softly "Ma is usually awake, its nice."  
Zev chuckled "I could imagine the two of them would be a handful." The morning light shone of her blond hair still a mess from sleep, she had grown since he had first met her, not far but the Dalish were small people. She was no longer the tiny silent wide eyed child Hawke had brought home from her stint in slavers custody.  
"Do you feel left out, now that they are here?" He asked, he was an orphan himself raised with a gaggle of other children in the whore house, it was easy to get lost in the throng of people.  
"Never." She said defiantly "I was chosen. I could have been left in Kirkwall but Mama knew." She smiled "not all children are born of their parents." She looked down at the hound and scratched his belly as the old dog rolled over, "I have an advantage over my sisters, as much as they are loved they were a surprise. So I will always have that."  
"Such wisdom, from one so young." Zev told her.  
"She is a bright one." Hawke chucked proudly coming out to join them. "Then again, we couldn't screw up all three of them."  
He laughed "I think you underestimate yourself Hawke."  
She said nothing in response, but smiled, and set to organising the kettle boiling. In the edge of the fire she saw a long thin stick smouldering slightly at the tip. Pulling it carefully out, she handed it to Sun, who thanked her excitedly and pulled out a pile of papers from her tent.  
"And who are we drawing this morning?" She asked her daughter.  
Sun looked at the half finished picture of a woman in profile and shrugged "I don't have a name, Boone asked me to draw her. She's the woman she sees in the fade."  
"I suppose we will all get to see this mysterious wisp when your done." Hawke mused.  
"Wisp from the fade?" Zevran asked.  
Hawke sat down lazily between them watching over her daughter shoulder as she filled in details. Shading the hair in darker, adding extra curls, darkening the eyes.  
"Boone is a dreamer, as the Dalish call them. But it appears she has a guardian angel."  
"A young woman." Sun explained as her sister had told to her. "With a kind face, and high cheekbones like mother, a button nose, long dark curly hair, fair skin, and large dark blue eyes." She frowned as she drew. "I don't have paints for the colours, so I can only do black and white."  
Hawke turned to Zevran "Fenris and I have been taking bets as to who it is."  
He didn't need to see the picture, he knew from the basic description who it was, her features burned into his very being her memory always bright and fresh in his mind. He could feel it as he arrived, a familiar soul in camp, something lingering. Keeping an ethereal and watchful eye over everything, close yet untouchable accompanied with the faint scent of honey due.  
"It's Dae Amell."

_The alienage is despicable, it was blocked off for the first few days because of "a sickness" lies the lot of it. Don't get me wrong there is a sickness, the sickness caused by poverty and starvation. Cramped living, confinement, little water causes most of the issues, and any aid you try give them is thrown back in your face. I don't blame them, every human in there is only after something, including us. Though we swiftly changed tact when we discovered where the unrest lay._

_I also found out why, why as a Mage they feared me more than any one else._  
Tavinter Magisters. I cannot believe after all this time there are parts of this world where slavery is still legal. I mean I know, I have heard stories from escaped slaves own mouths, but I can't believe it.  
They will not be bothering the elves in Denerium any longer I will tell you that. The nerve of the man, offering me money and power for people lives. Well I showed him my power, I no longer have patience for these people. I will not even attempt to talk sense into worms like him. 

_I brought myself a new set of robes, to celebrate my emancipation from my old ridged morals. They are purple, I was inspired by Morrigan. No sleeves, feather pauldrens, lacing up the front a lot lower cut than the circle robes I can tell you, thigh high splits. Shows of far more flesh than I'm use to but your only young once right? Judging by Alistair's inability to form a sentence when I asked him what he thought, I had achieved the effect I was after._

_We are gathering supporters for the Landsmeet. As much as Alistair's right to the throne is written in his blood, and my new lease on life had left me with little patience, I do not wish to fight Loghain, beating him in his own field of political battle will leave no argument against his claim.  
This brings me to an incident I am not so proud of, in the cells of a dungeon in the Arl's estate I found a young man by the name of Vaughn. Unlike the others he deserved to rot in the cell, but his father was the former Arl and has a lot of say. I needed his fathers vote and to do that I needed to release his foul creature of a son._

_A city elf resided in the cell next to him. As I released them both the look he gave could have curdled milk._  
 _He attacked me verbally for letting such a horrible man loose._  
"If it had been a human wedding he had destroyed." He cried "a human that had been killed, a human that had been raped you would care. You would let him rot in here."  
I felt all the rage in his words, but I had to look on stony faced, I told him to go home, to be thankful for his life and those that survived this mans foul deeds.  
I have never wanted to kill another living being, human, elf, dwarf or Qunari. I fight the dark spawn, I fight ghouls and monsters, not people.  
But often I see now that the ghouls and monsters are people. 

~

The hall resounded with cheers for her cause. She had spoken. Alistair for king, the people had voted. Loghain was furious.  
"Traitors!" He shouted drawing his blade "traitors the lot, you'll see us all over run!" He turned his fury towards Dae "and you'll lead them all to ruin."  
She looked at the steel blade pointed at her chest, with out even a hint of fear. Placing two fingers on the cold flat of it she pushed it to one side.  
"The nobles have spoken, are you going to start a revolt right here in the throne room?"  
"No, but I will challenge you in combat."  
A hushed awe went about the room, she could hear Alistair stammering protests behind her offering himself as her champion.  
Dae slowly unslung her staff from her back. "As you wish" those left on the ground floor of the throne room pressed themselves agains the walls. Alistair however ran to her.  
"Don't do this." He said. "Not for me, I don't want the crown that much."  
"Are you afraid I might loose?"  
"Yes." His eyes honestly conveying the fear he was explaining.  
"He won't even touch me." 

Stepping forward to meet her opponent. Dae took one last long breath. This wasn't her sacrifice, she knew it. This was just another moment to stand up to a bully. As much as she had been afraid to die initially for the moment it had granted her a sense of immortality. Knowing it was a sacrifice, knowing it was her choice, she could face these monsters with out fear.  
Loghain swung his sword. His arms still strong despite his years, he was a battle hardened warrior, a hero and champion, Dae should have been trembling in her boots.  
He readied his shoulders and launched forward, he had fought along side mages, seen fire and lightning explode from their staffs, he braced him self for an offensive onslaught.  
Calmly Dae raised her staff off the ground, no more than a few inches and banged it against the hard stone floor. 

Tall ice stalagmites reached to catch Loghain. The ran to him like a horse pulling at a bit, engulfing his feet, climbing to his knees his hips. His torso and arms, he froze solid, unable to move, fight or even speak.  
"You think you are strong because you swing a pointy piece of metal." She said quietly stepping towards him so she could look him in his frozen features.  
"I could rip your soul from your body and cast it across the fade, turn your flesh to ash. Just because I do not does not make me inferior, because I use kindness instead of fear does not make me weak." She turned her frigid gaze to him.  
"You are a traitor, guilty of treason that resulted in the death of your king. Are you prepared for your sentence." She turned to Alistair. "What say you King Alistair?"  
Flinching at the word king, Alistair stepped forward. If Dae could stand stoically before these trials the so could he.  
"Not only did you betray your king, you deserted the battle field leading to the deaths of all but two Grey Wardens. You treated with slavers, allowing them to commit dozens of atrocities in the name of Ferelden, you also kidnapped the queen and held her against her will."  
Aemon approached him. "before you judge him, think wisely. He is a champion, a hero let him perhaps find a way to continue to serve Ferelden as a Grey Warden."  
Alastair halted "What? No!" He exclaimed, "being a Grey Warden in an honour not a punishment, his sentence is death."  
He stepped forward and drew his sword. A stunned murmur went about the crowd, Anora shouted in her fathers defence.  
It was Dae who stayed his hand, with her placed gently on his wrist. "He was a hero," she said softly. "He deserves a quick and painless death. Let me." 

Dispelling the ice, Loghain fell to his knees before the warden Mage.  
"Rise" she commanded.  
"From warden to his majesties executioner." His words were bitter, his eyes terrified.  
She reached forward and unclasped his chest plate, the crash of the metal hitting the stone deafening in the hush of the room. "I have healed wounds, a numbed pain, all my life. I offered my skill so you do not have to suffer, and your daughter doesn't have to see your blood seeping into the masonry."  
Loghain laughed. "A kind executioner."  
She placed her hand on his chest right over his heart. And nodded for two of the guards to stand behind him.  
"Draw your last breath, my friends,  
Cross the Veil and the Fade and all the stars in the sky.  
Rest at the Maker's right hand,  
And be Forgiven." On her last word her power rippled down her arm and through him. The lightning ripping through his body in one quick beat stopping his heart flat. He fell backwards into the arms of the guards who lowered him to the ground. She could see her hand print on his chest where the lightning had connected. Anora broke free of those who held her and raced forward. Collapsing at her fathers side. Aemon stepped forward to try and quell the ruckus that had begun. Dae began to back away, Alistair was solemn, the smallest hint of regret in his eye as he watched Anora grieve. "Command them to give him a great burial. He was a hero after all." 

The streets were in an uproar. The Landsmeet hadn't even been officially relieved but the word was on the street. Running her hands through her hair she waked into the local pup.  
"I don't care what it is just make it strong." She said placing coins on the bar. The day had been so long, and would be longer. Alistair was king, her daft, big footed brother in arms, the boy who couldn't mention sex with out blushing, who she had managed to have a conversation about licking lampposts on winter mornings. Was now King of Ferelden.  
And she had kissed him, twice. She sighed taking a quick gulp of the drink the bartender gave her as she silently prayed her cousin received all the letters, and had prudently decided to hide them away from prying eyes. 

Dae heard a scream from further down the hall. The bartender pretended not to notice. Squeals and shouts were not uncommon to hear in the bar, as drunks played, there was always some one willing to drape themselves over a knee for another drink or some coin. But this was different. This was pained.  
Gulping down the last of her drink, Dae walked towards the noise padding down the hall to the hearth and the private room in the back.  
The moment the young elf girl pried her self away from him she knew who it was, Vaughan, the man incarcerated for the atrocities he committed at the elven wedding.  
The woman crashing into her apologising profusely.  
"Don't go back in there." She said softly helping the girl up.  
"I have to, he pays too well not to."  
Dae swallowed. "What would you get in a night?"  
"Five Sovereign why?"  
She pulled out of her bag a coin purse. "Here's 16 and a couple of silver. Just don't come back tonight."  
The girl looked up at her with wide terrified eyes before nodding and running off.  
Dae shook off the stress, and the worried frown that set itself in her brow, and placed a peaceable smile upon her lips.  
She walked in and stood before him.  
"Well if it isn't the warden." he cooed leaning forward and drinking her in. "Couldn't get enough of me."  
"Something like that." She tried to hide the distain in the voice.  
He laughed "You here to give me another lecture about elves being people, you want to try and reform me?"  
She shook her head.  
He continued to fill in the silence with chatter "I hear your boyfriend became king today does that make you queen?" He paused leaning forward a slick grin on his face, "You don't like him much do you? That's why your here, dressed in your finest." Her reached for her grabbing her thigh, pulling her closer so he could stroke the back of her legs. "No something in your little goody too shoes craves someone more depraved. You have the itch for the bad boys don't you, dangerous men? The thought of what I could do to you makes you wet doesn't it?"  
She stepped forward placing a knee on either side of his legs. Feeling every inch of her skin crawl as she made contact with him. She lent down to his ear as her hand slid into his top her fingertips brushing his skin.  
"I know dangerous men," she whispered into his ear "and you're not one of them. you're a worm, a blight on society, as a warden it is my solemn duty to rid the world of the blight."  
He gasped as ice crystals began to form in his veins, popping his blood vessels like balloons. The agony was so unbearable only a shuddered gasp escaped his lips as the ice encased his heart and brain. Freezing his face permanently in a terrified expression.  
A slow clap echoed around the room.  
"Spectacular work." The tall balled man said leaning on the door frame. "He never saw it coming."  
"They never do." She answered pulling herself off the dead man, making to leave. The mans accent was Antivan, and she was always suspicious of an Antivan who applauded murder.  
"Have you ever thought of perhaps making money of people's unfortunate accidents?"  
She eyeballed him "I have had my share of dealing with the Crows thank you. I'll not be getting into bed with the likes of them again."  
He stopped her from pushing past. "The warden Amell?" He asked "May I ask then what happened to Zevran?"  
"He is probably neck deep in whores and ale by now for all I know."  
"Then he lives?" The man said surprised "You know if left alive he will try to complete his mark, his life is forfeit if he doesn't."  
"He is welcome to try."  
The man smiled at her defiance and bowed "Then the Antivan crows send their regards."

Isabella had asked no questions when Dae called in a favour with the Captian, she didn't ask who the young man was that she had gotten some of her stronger men to pick up. She did ask what happened to their enigmatically insatiable friend in common, and instantly regretted it. The conversation between Warden and Captain died swiftly from that point, so they parted ways, Isabella tried to give the young warden sage advice about there being more than one fish in the sea, but she could see the girl wasn't in the mood. Dae hugged her before she left. Thanking her softly and wishing her a sad, somber farewell.

Sneaking in through the back of the property Dae had hoped to head to bed. She wanted the day done. She knew Wynne would wish to talk to her, Alistair too no doubt, she wanted none of it. Maybe another drink, she would be passing the kitchens.  
"Dae." Alistair called softly to her as she walked through the garden. Startling her momentarily. "I wondered where you went." He had cast off his armour any kingly regalia, and walked barefoot in breaches and a tunic, obviously taking a break as well.  
"It got." She paused trying to find the words. "Heavy." She said finally. "I needed some time to think."  
He nodded and smiled "Heavy is a far more polite word than I would have used. But then again you have more tact than I do."  
She laughed "It will come, along with kingly charm, grace and fashion sense." She pointed to his attire.  
He looked down "I wasn't really intending to see any one. You've seen me worse off."  
"Yes." She remembered the night well "but I can assure you your advisors will stop any card games like that now your king."  
"Oh drat." He sarcastically snapping his fingers "because I so look forward to being stripped of the clothes off my back by a girl and her dog."  
"Maybe next time you should team up with Remi, he's a good player"  
Alistair took her hand and lead her down a side path a seat lay at the end, a simple bench made of rough pieces of wood. A willow tree framed the setting it was a little more unkept than the rest of the garden they had walked through but it was quieter. As they approached the little alcove the lights and sounds of the estate were muffled.  
They took a seat together on the bench allowing silence to wash over them. He fidgeted somewhat anxiously before turning to her.  
"We have known each other for almost a year now. Haven't we?" He began.  
She tried to remember those days, walking through the wilds, the late autumn sun hanging low over the battle field, the rains softening the ground. They had returned in winter to Ostigar with the snow fresh on the ground to collect Caillan's armour, and bury him as was fitting for a king.  
Spring and summer had passed the heat fading and Autumn begun again in Ferelden every where red and gold leaves fell the wind beginning to chill and suck the warmth out of the earth. Soon the year would turn once more bringing the snow back for another solemn battle. Then snow would thaw and the seasons would continue.  
"It must be."  
"I couldn't have survived it with out you."  
She smiled "and Flemeth, Duncan's order, Morrigan and Zevran rescuing us. And the maker blessing us with a life times worth of luck in a short time."  
"But it was you who kept us moving forward, kept us together despite our differences." He turned to face her, trying to convey the sincerity in his words.  
He gathered up both of her hands and held them, staring at them as if they would give him strength. "What I'm trying to ask, is..." He paused trying to get a handle on the words that floated in and out of his head. "You are the leader I will never be. But with you by my side, I could be the king Ferelden deserves."  
The breath caught in her throat as she realised what he was asking. "Oh, Alistair." Was all she managed to say.  
"I would rather have my best friend at my side than any one else." He looked up to her. "I know you don't love me like you did Zevran, perhaps with time. Even if you never did I wouldn't mind."  
She began to open her mouth, in some form of protest, but he hushed her gently.  
"Before you answer think about it." they were quiet for a while, Dae desperately trying to digest what he was saying.  
"If the best you could hope for, was marriage to a man you don't hate and kept in a life style that your use to, I can beat that. Unless of course you hate me?"  
Nervous laughter broke the tension "You've thought this through?"  
"Only as much as everything else I do." he returned his hands to his knees and looked out to the garden. "When the camp was attacked and you almost died I didn't know what to do."  
Dae almost corrected him, she had died that day at camp. If Wynne hadn't been a spirit healer this conversation could never have happened.  
"I just don't want to loose you. And I wish to be there for you as you were for me."  
She stood up taking his face in her hands bending his head to kiss his for head. "You don't have to marry me to keep me around." She smiled gently as she said it, "but I will consider it. For you. "

Snatching up her journal as she walked in the door, Dae curled up on the huge soft four poster bed she was given while staying with the Arl. She whistled to Remi who excitedly leaped up onto the bed at the offer. Dae wrapped her arms around the beast's think neck and buried her face in his fur. Forcing the day from her mind. To many things to process, to many things to decide and care about, it was all so convoluted from the original offer of fighting the arch demon and being a grey warden.  
She understood the sentiment in Alistair's proposal, he was after all still a wayward boy. To use to being left behind. Handed off to some one who should have cared more but couldn't care less. He was just trying to hang on to what he cared about in the only fashion he thought he could.  
Scratching the hound behind his ear as he lay down she flicked through her journal looking at the pictures and places she had been in the year. Her hands lingered of the sketch of Zevran. Her hand stretched out over the image and crumpled the page ripping it from the book she threw it to the end of the bed. She huffed staring at the mess of paper with renewed wroth.  
She turned her eyes back to the book. His hand writing and hers scattered the page, the poem, the few sentences he was teaching her. She couldn't help smiling remembering the late nights camp side.

_"Tell me about your adventures." She had demanded  
"And what adventures would they be little flower? Falling out of a carriage is an adventure? Falling into bed with some one is a great adventure, no? _

She tucked her hair behind her ear, remembering the way he did it. She had left her hair out so he had an excuse to do it. A single didgets would trail her cheek catching the hair and drawing it be hind her ear. His eyes locked with hers.

_"tell me about Antiva"_

Of course he had obliged and once he had told all the stories he could she asked him to teach her the language. Books had only taught her so much. The things she read about Antiva was about its history, nothing about the city, or its people. The colour the smell. She laughed Zevran had even managed to make a city that smelled like fish and tannery's sound exotic.  
She looked over the last words left untranslated on the page.  
Word by word she nutted it out slowly.  
"Tarda una hora en conocerte y solo un dia en enamorarme."  
She wracked her brains. It was only the first sentence, she flicked through her other notes and pull it together. Finally after many scribblings double checking and adjusting order of words for translation she got the whole message hidden in his native tongue.

_It took me an hour to know you, and only a day to fall in love. But it will take me a lifetime to be able to forget you. My greatest fear is it will only take you a heart beat to forget me._

_Looks like Alistair isn't the only wayward boy.  
We are all out casts in our own right. I think that's why we came together, lonely souls gravitate towards each other._

_My soul feels darker these days. I feel I understand why they keep mages contained. Loghain, Vaughan these were not small men. Loghain was a warrior, but it was so easy. I remember when you visited and participated in the tourney, you didn't smile in battle like the men you faced. You wore a stoic mask, your eyes cold, I understand this now. The need to complete the task at hand no matter what got in the way._  
You smiled through bloody teeth when you won, I remember you brought us all honey cakes with your winnings.  
For the longest time I thought all battles ended in honey cakes.  
Now I pray when my battle comes where ever I am, I can sit like we did that day, feet dangling off the bank into the river, laughing as children do, eating treats with those I care about.  
Now I want honey cakes.  
Love Dae  
Xoxo  



End file.
